Ferry Boat Inn , Felixstowe

[AntarcticPilot]

You aren't the first and won't be the last to make that mistake, it is even more tempting when leaving against the tide which runs very fast in the channel, but you need to be very sure of yourself to cut through that beguilingly clear area to keep out of the tide. At least you got away with it, many haven't.

I don't understand why the channel stops being marked at that point. As I see it, on the rest of the river, the channel is well marked by buoys, and is also indicated by the lack of moorings! But suddenly there are no buoys, and a large area with no moorings. Yes, I should have had the ECP open by me; I wouldn't have made the mistake if I had! But I could see the next buoy (Deben?) and an expanse of water with no moorings, and put 2 and 2 together and made 5, heading straight for the buoy as I did elsewhere!

 

[PeterWright]

Throughout my sailing life until a few years ago, the Horse Sand was marked by a substantial phb, but a few years ago changes to the bar demanded an extra phb which was solved by pinching the horse sand buoy, so it's now not surprising to me if folk make mistakes there.

However, back in the 1970s I was working as mate on the TBSC's barge Pudge with a stand in master because the regular master was unwell. Ws got over the bar without issue but this master had some great fear of the Horse so chose to give the buoy such a wide berth that we ran the barge, under sail, well up the bank. I was despatched to go through the endless rigmarole of starting the Kelvin semi diesel while the charter party made a mess of dropping the tops'l but at least got the main stowed up on the main brails. Once I had started the Kelvin, the skipper wound on the chain drive to the gear box so frantically that the chain came off its sprockets so we had no way to put it in gear. At least he agreed to me calling Charlie on the VHF so Charlie came and towed us off while I went aloft to disentangle the tops'l then on getting back on deck let go the anchor just above the Horse. An hour or so got the control chain refitted to the gearbox, with the Kelvin still ticking over to cook me while I did it, after which back on deck to get the anchor - at least the charter party were willing hands on the windlass so we were the able to motor up to just below the Waldringfield island where we anchored and launched the boat to fetch some friends of the charter party who they had invited to dinner.

Just proves that even a professional master can get the Horse wrong, even with a buoy.

Peter.

 

[sailorman]

Throughout my sailing life until a few years ago, the Horse Sand was marked by a substantial phb, but a few years ago changes to the bar demanded an extra phb which was solved by pinching the horse sand buoy, so it's now not surprising to me if folk make mistakes there.

However, back in the 1970s I was working as mate on the TBSC's barge Pudge with a stand in master because the regular master was unwell. Ws got over the bar without issue but this master had some great fear of the Horse so chose to give the buoy such a wide berth that we ran the barge, under sail, well up the bank. I was despatched to go through the endless rigmarole of starting the Kelvin semi diesel while the charter party made a mess of dropping the tops'l but at least got the main stowed up on the main brails. Once I had started the Kelvin, the skipper wound on the chain drive to the gear box so frantically that the chain came off its sprockets so we had no way to put it in gear. At least he agreed to me calling Charlie on the VHF so Charlie came and towed us off while I went aloft to disentangle the tops'l then on getting back on deck let go the anchor just above the Horse. An hour or so got the control chain refitted to the gearbox, with the Kelvin still ticking over to cook me while I did it, after which back on deck to get the anchor - at least the charter party were willing hands on the windlass so we were the able to motor up to just below the Waldringfield island where we anchored and launched the boat to fetch some friends of the charter party who they had invited to dinner.

Just proves that even a professional master can get the Horse wrong, even with a buoy.

Peter.

the current HM is Charlies son in law

 

[Frayed Knot]

Thanks to chart plotters at the helm far fewer yachts ground on the horse these days.
HM used to charge £10 to tow somebody off and kept himself quite busy during the summer doing so.
Asked if he ever got bored in the winter his answer was “Not really, I’m too busy topping up the sand…”

Disclaimer: Never spoil a good story by telling the truth.

 

[PeterWright]

Yes, I had heard that one too. In my world, the chart plotter is still tuck above the chart table and on Pudge in the 1970s neither GPS nor sufficient data storage for a single chart at a sensible price had been invented.

Peter.